Security
by Meowzy-chan
Summary: Kratos tries to help Yuan, but it does not go appreciated. Eventually, Kratos learns things about his companion he'd never have thought possible. Set during the Kharlan war. [YxK]
1. Water

((A/N: Oh gawd, another fic by Meowzy. Yup. So... Let's start off with some notes.

1: I planned this before I started the collab with Spiritua Masquerade. It's got a completely different storyline, so don't confuse this with the awesome collab thing.  
2: It's got YuanxKratos. So if you can't stand guyxguy, don't read!  
3: It's set during the Kharlan war. Yup. And written from Kratos' P.O.V.  
4: I don't own Tales of Symphonia. Don't sue my yaoi-loving behind.  
5: I'm sorry if the chapters seem short. They had to be this size, to work it out with the chapter titles. So to make up for it, I'll update frequently.  
6: The best readers are reviewing readers! So let me know you appreciated/hated the story I worked so hard on.))

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Water.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Yuan sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair and staring at the dark ocean ahead of us.

"According to the map, Undine's lair should be near here." Mithos mumbled, stuffing a yellowish map into his pocket.

"I suggest we take a break here, before continuing." I said, noticing that the group was starting to get tired.

"Yeah! Great idea! Then I can prepare myself for the pact!" Mithos called excitedly. He was always a great bundle of energy when it came down to battles or magic.

Martel reached into her backpack, and pulled out a large blanket. With a quick waving motion, she had spread it out on the ground. Mithos immediately dropped himself onto it, sitting in a cross-legged position. Martel and myself joined him, before casting a glance at Yuan. The man was wandering away absentmindedly. He had a tendency to do that.

"Yuan, aren't you going to join us?" Martel called, wearing a worried expression.

Yuan didn't respond, and sat down a short distance away, on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean.

"What's with him?" I asked, frowning lightly.

"It's been five years since his parents died." Martel said delicately. "Don't worry. He'll be back to his arrogant self in no time."

"I see…" I glanced upwards to look at the sky, that was steadily darkening. A storm was approaching, no doubt.

"Undine's cave is about a mile south from here. It's directly connected to the ocean, and-"

"Mithos, please stop fussing about that summon spirit, and eat something." Martel pulled a few sandwiches out of her backpack, and held them out.

"I can't help it sis. I'm too excited." Mithos took the sandwiches, but still didn't eat. "Just think. A short while from now, I'll have made my third summon spirit pact!"

The boy continued to talk happily, as I glanced around. The wind was really increasing in power, and clouds seemed to race overhead. Weather like this was never a good sign.

What happened next all passed in the fraction of a second. There was a loud splash nearby, and my eyes shot in the direction of where Yuan had been sitting. He was gone.

"Oh gods! Yuan! He can't swim!" I heard Martel shout.

Not quite registering what had happened yet, I hopped to my feet and ran to the edge of the cliff. I scanned the surface of the ocean frantically, but the only thing I could see was the ripple of the water. Not bothering to take off my equipment, I dove into the water. I faintly heard Mithos shouting my name, but took no note of it.

The water was cold. Freezing, as a matter of fact. But I ignored it, and dove in deeper, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. The silence was pounding on my eardrums. Then I spotted Yuan. He was slowly sinking, not moving. I immediately swam towards him, and grabbed him by his shoulders. His emerald eyes shot open, wide with fear. I tried to get him to calm down, but he simply started to cling to me with all his might, dragging us both down. Why was he so heavy?

And then it hit me. His armour!

My hands immediately started to undo the heavy chest armour. It was only a matter of time before we'd both run out of air. I had to move quickly. Yuan, apparently understanding what I was doing, started to push me away. Did he honestly have to act so childish? I was only trying to help! His eyes slowly closed, as he grew limp in my grip. Time was running out.

As the chest armour finally started to sink to the bottom, I tried to drag Yuan back to the surface. But then I noticed the strange water currents. They were pushing us backwards, away from the cliff, in an almost… unnatural way. I noticed a pair of eyes, glowing in the darkness. Was it a monster, or a spirit?…

I finally managed to break the surface of the water, gasping for air. Yuan appeared to be unconscious, but he was still breathing. For now…

Just as I expected, we'd been pushed far away from the cliff. I could faintly see the outline of Martel and Mithos through my soaked bangs. They were trying to get our attention, but another wave crashed down, forcing us both underwater again.

I gripped my companion tightly, making sure I wouldn't lose him in the currents that were pushing us away from safety again. This wasn't caused by an ordinary monster. It had to be Undine's work. It was true that when summon spirits were untamed, they tended to roam outside of their territory, or even attack other beings. It was another reason why Mithos had to continue making pacts with them.

But where were the currents leading us? To security, or demise?


	2. Thunder

((A/N: Holy sh- 11 reviews! On the first chapter? I'm not sure if I ever accomplished that before. The best part is that 4 reviews were posted within 20 minutes after uploading the story! So... Thanks, everyone! I love you all! -_hands out cookies_-  
For those who were wondering how the YxK works out, with Martel and all... You'll have to wait! I'm not spoiling the story!))

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Thunder.

After a rather 'bumpy ride', the waves finally threw us onto a shore. I coughed heavily, trying to get all the salty water out of my lungs again. We'd really gone a long way.

I glanced to my side, trying to see if Yuan was alright. His eyes were closed blissfully, as if he were sleeping. There was just one problem. He didn't seem to be breathing.

"Shit! Yuan!" I leaned over him, checking for a pulse. If there was one, it was faint. Panicking slightly, I tried to think back to my survival lessons. When someone drowned, you had to… use CPR!

I pinched his nose shut with my right hand and opened his mouth slightly. I wondered faintly what Martel would say if she saw me doing this, but the alternative wasn't very pleasant either. Vanquishing doubt from my mind, I pushed brought my mouth down onto his and hoped I wasn't messing it up.

Counting to four, I pushed his chest down rhythmically. Then I started from the beginning again.

'Come on! Breathe!' I thought frantically. 'If you die, Martel would never forgive me. … _I_'d never forgive me.'

Finally, after the third attempt, Yuan took a sharp, painful breath. I immediately backed away as he sat up and started coughing frantically. Thank the gods…

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he spluttered, wiping his mouth.

"I saved your life. That's what." I responded coldly.

"Tch. I never asked you to." Yuan pushed himself to his feet, and glared down at me.

"You'd rather have died?" I asked incredulously.

"Where are we?" He asked, staring around. Did he just change the subject?…

"I don't know…" I responded, also taking in our surroundings.

We seemed to be on some sort of sandy beach. Behind us was a vast forest and in front of us was nothing but ocean. I remembered seeing an island on Mithos' map. Was that this one?

"Ah, great…" Yuan muttered, shaking his head wearily.

"We should go find shelter." I said, glancing up at the sky that was still darkening.

"_You_ can go find shelter, if you want to. I'll stay here, and find a way to be rescued." Yuan turned his back on me and gave a dismissive wave with his hand.

"Are you kidding? There's a storm coming. It'd be unwise to linger." I got to my feet, crossing my arms.

"Exactly. Which is why I'm trying to get away from here as soon as possible." The man snapped.

"You're hopeless." I grunted, before turning and heading for the forest. If he wanted to sit outside in a storm, that was his choice.

It didn't take me long to find a small cave where I could wait for the storm to pass. I didn't encounter anything but trees during my small trek across the island. It seemed all the animals had gone into hiding too. This wasn't going to be a normal storm. 

The wind was howling loudly outside, and soon I could hear the splatter of rain. Sighing, I sat down in a corner and pulled my cloak closer around me. All my clothes were still soaked and clinging to my body. If I wasn't careful, I could get pneumonia. The same went for Yuan. Foolish man. He was probably still out there, completely in vain. But there was nothing I could do. Once he'd made up his mind, nobody could persuade him otherwise. Still, I secretly hoped he was alright.

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((Gotta love CPR moments. -_giggles_-  
Is the grammar better now, **ShadowofUndine**?)) 


	3. Air

((A/N: 9 reviews! Thanks, everyone! Looks like everyone here enjoys the CPR thing. Heheheh...))

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Air.

I awoke early next morning to the sound of chirping birds. The storm had passed and the sun was slowly starting to shine again. By now, my clothes had dried and I'd gotten atleast _some_ sleep. Though the clashes of thunder had kept me awake most of the night.

I exited the cave, hoping that Yuan had surpassed his own stubbornness and sought shelter anyway. But when I arrived at the beach where I had left him the previous night, I got a nasty suspicion I was wrong. He was simply sitting there, his knees drawn up to his face, staring blankly at the ocean.

"Have you been sitting here all night?" I questioned, already guessing the answer. His clothes were still slightly soaked and his usually sleek hair was curled and windswept.

"Obviously." Was his short reply.

"And the thunder didn't bother you at all?" I asked, frowning.

"Tch."

When Martel had said he would be back to his usual arrogant self soon, she'd obviously been wrong. His gloomy aura only seemed to have gotten worse.

"We should find some food." I suggested, hoping his hunger might snap him out of his foolish behaviour.

"I'm not stopping you." He said, still not sparing a glance at me.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" I shouted, starting to get irritated. "Do you even understand the situation we're in?"

No response.

"Insufferable fool." I spat, before whipping around and storming off again. During our travels, Yuan had regularly gotten on my nerves. But never in this way.

* * *

Soon, I had explored the island by myself, and started to set up a camp near the cave. I couldn't predict how long we'd be out here, so I had to assume the worst. I'd discovered a small waterfall nearby with clean water and it seemed to be a good season for fruit. There was also plenty of wildlife, should we want meat for a change. 

The island wasn't that big though. You could easily cross it within an hour. There was not a single sign of inhabitation. It was… pure and untouched. Until we came, anyway.

As the hours passed, I noticed there was still no sign of Yuan. While I'd made myself comfortable, he was probably still sitting on that damned beach. Finally, I'd had enough. If he wasn't going to listen to reason, I'd have to force it down his throat.

Grunting in an annoyed way, I headed towards the beach. As expected, Yuan was still there. But what he was doing gave me quite a shock. He was slowly wading into the water.

"Yuan!"

I ran towards him, and grabbed his arm, pulling him back roughly. He turned to glare at me, struggling to break free from my grip.

"What the hell are you doing? You can't swim!" I shouted.

"So?" His eyes were filled with the deepest loathing. I'd never seen anything like it. And it scared me.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I growled. I didn't mean anything by it. It just blurted out. Which is why the reply chilled my very bones.

"Yes."

And then it all clicked. Why Yuan had fallen into the water in the first place. Why he'd struggled when I tried to stop him from sinking. And why he'd gotten so upset after I'd saved his life. But… Why?

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((Gasp! ... Hmm... I think I really defied the grammar rules again in those last lines. But I got lazy. Forgive me. Also for the chapter being pretty short. Ahwell, next chapter will be up in a few days!)) 


	4. Light

((A/N: 10 reviews! Squeee! Thanks everyone! Darn, I really need to wrap this story up soon. I haven't brought myself to write the ending yet... But I have like... 4 more chapters for you guys. So no worries.))

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Light.

I managed to get Yuan back to the camp I'd set up, neither of us speaking a word. I couldn't help but wonder. Why? Why would he want to end his own life? I was sure he had everything a guy could want. I thought he was… happy.

Noting that the sun was starting to set, I used my magic to start a small campfire I'd prepared beforehand. Yuan wordlessly sat down in front of it, pulling his knees up to his face. I sat down beside him, taking in the silence.

"Why?" I finally asked the question that was on my mind the entire time.

"Why what?" Yuan asked hoarsely.

"Why would you want to kill yourself?" I turned to face him, but he stared into the flames. "Don't you think we would miss you? _Martel_ would miss you?"

He didn't respond, but his expression told me enough. It was one of his 'Yeah, whatever.' scowls.

"She loves you, you know." I hissed angrily.

"Tch. You don't get it at all, do you?" he turned his head slightly to glare at me.

"Then explain it to me!" I practically shouted.

Yuan now shifted to face me entirely, sitting cross-legged. Half his face was encased in shadows. He seemed tired, but that was pretty logical after spending the night outside in a storm.

"The engagement between Martel and me was arranged by our parents when we were little. We don't 'love' each other. We never did."

"W-what?" My eyes widened in surprise. But… the way they acted towards each other…

"Martel is like a little sister to me. She and Mithos were my family, after my parents died. But we agreed a long time ago that we would never get married." Yuan glanced blankly at the ring on his finger.

"Then why do you still act like it?" I asked.

"Mithos." He replied simply, looking up at me. "The thought of his sister getting married is one of the only bright sides in this time of war. We need to keep up the charade for his sake."

"That's…" I was at loss for words, so many questions popping into my head… I tried to find the most important one. "Does Martel know you're… depressed?"

"I don't want to worry her with my problems. You know how she is. She'll try to share my burden." Yuan said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

"Then how do you think she'll feel when you kill yourself?" I demanded loudly.

"She'll get over it. And then she'll be free to find a husband who is worthy of her."

"You idiot!" I shouted, causing him to look up. "Death is never the answer! If you only want to kill yourself because of something as trivial as this, you're not as smart as I give you credit for!"

"There's more." he whispered, looking away.

"Like what?" I questioned, slightly annoyed.

"I…" He hesitated, trying to form words. But eventually gave up. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

I noticed he was twitching nervously. Something was definitely wrong.

"You know you can tell me anything." I leaned closer, trying to smile at him. I wasn't sure if I succeeded. I hardly ever smiled.

The effect was instantaneous though. Yuan glanced up at me, turned bright red, and quickly turned his gaze to the flames instead.

"I…" he began, running a finger past the smooth surface of his ring.

I waited patiently. Whatever was bothering him, it couldn't possibly be _that_ bad, right?

"I l-love you."

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((And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen! THIS is how you can make a story set in the Kharlan war YxK.)) 


	5. Fire

((A/N: 11 reviews again! Fweee! Thank you all so much! I loved writing this chapter, because the title just fits the rest so well... Well, you'll understand when you've finished. Unlike chapter 7, where the title has nothing to do with the chapter itself... But I'm straying offtopic now. Enjoy!))

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Fire.

I immediately backed away in shock, my eyes widening. Did I just hear that correctly? It couldn't be…

"W-what?" I managed to stutter.

"See? I knew you'd react like this." Yuan said softly, turning back to the fire.

"N-no, I mean…" For some reason, I felt desperate. I felt a need for him to understand. "W-when? How?"

"When we first met. I felt it instantly." he buried his face in his hands. "And then you started to travel with us. I hoped that I'd never have to see you again, but… Mithos wanted you as his teacher. There was nothing I could do."

His voice… It was filled with grief. He was shaking too. He'd been bottling this up for so long?

"It's okay." I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but he immediately pushed it away.

"Don't you get it?" he spat. "It's a sin for a man to love another man in a sexual way. And you're a _human_ too!"

"We're travelling to end thoughts like this, aren't we?" I questioned. "To stop the war, and end discrimination."

"Even if we _do_ succeed, discrimination won't disappear immediately. It's not like a candle you can just blow out. It's a fire that has to diminish. And it could take centuries." Yuan shook lightly.

Noticing he was starting to get cold, I quickly wrapped an arm around him and pulled him closer. He immediately started to struggle.

"W-what are you doing? Get off!" he hissed, trying to push me away.

"The good thing about being on an island like this, is that there are no people to judge you." I whispered into his ear. He swiftly froze, his breathing growing more rapid.

"But… You…" he glanced up at me with confused eyes, seemingly at loss for words. Just like I had been a few moments ago.

Sparing him an answer, I pulled him closer, into a passionate kiss. At first he hesitated, but when I wrapped another arm around him he moved forward to deepen it. I was amazed by how well he could kiss. It was almost like he poured all his feelings into it.

Moaning softly, I let my fingers run across his back. Slowly moving down… But Yuan didn't want to wait. Breaking the kiss to catch his breath, his hands immediately started to undo my cloak.

"You're serious, aren't you?" I asked, glancing down at him.

"I've waited for too long." He replied shortly, tossing the cloak aside and getting started on my belts.

"Can we atleast get out of the mud first?" I asked with a grin, running a hand through his soft hair.

"Fine." Yuan roughly pulled me to my feet and nearly dragged me to the cave. Not that I was complaining…

He took off his own cloak and let it fall to the ground, pushing me down on top of it. Now it was only convenient that I'd removed his chest armour. The less obstacles, the better.

Once again kissing feverishly, we started to help each other out of our clothes. Doubt had completely vanished from Yuan's mind, as he yanked off my pants with a slight growl.

"What are you smiling at?" he asked, as I tried to stop myself from laughing.

"You." I replied simply, placing a kiss on his forehead.

Yuan once again responded with his 'Yeah, whatever.' look, pushing me onto my back and climbing on top of me.

The only ones who heard our screams were a few nocturnal animals, wandering outside the cave as our campfire slowly died out.

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((Next update will be on Monday, when I return from my little trip to London. I'm going to see Avenue Q, the musical! Fweee!)) 


	6. Mist

((A/N: Meowzy: I'm back from my weekend in London! Avenue Q was such a good musical... I had an almost conversation with the guy who plays Princeton! Fweee! But anyway, I digress. 9 reviews! Yaaay! As always, ShadowofUndine is the most critical reviewer. I really appreciate that. Now I know what to work on for the next chapters. ... Even though I've almost finished the story...))

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Mist.

The next morning I awoke with Yuan nestled safely in my arms. Still half-asleep, I tightened my hold slightly. This only resulted in a soft painful moan from the other.

My eyes slowly fluttered open to see what the trouble was. Yuan's face was buried in my chest and he appeared to be shivering lightly.

"Yuan?" I asked softly. No response.

Reluctantly breaking the embrace, I rolled him onto his back. His breathing had been reduced to troubled panting and he seemed to have lost some of his usual glow. I raised a hand to his forehead, only to quickly pull it back.

"You're burning up!" I exclaimed, and Yuan twitched slightly at the loudness of my voice.

I quickly pushed myself to my feet, looking around for my pants. They were lying a short distance away, near the entrance of the cave. After pulling them on, I slipped into my shoes and left to find water. It wasn't until I reached the waterfall, that I realised I didn't have anything to put it in. I wasn't wearing my hipflask when I dove off that cliff.

Deciding there wasn't any other way, I brought some water to my mouth and tried my best not to swallow any of it as I hurried back to the cave. It wasn't exactly fresh, but it'd have to do.

After reaching the cave again I sat down next to Yuan, pulling him into a sitting position. He barely showed any response at all. Bringing my lips against his, I let the water flow freely into his mouth. He gulped it down with trouble, before I gently laid him down again.

I'd been such an idiot! This whole thing was my fault! He hadn't eaten in almost two days now, nearly drowned, sat outside during a storm and then I let him tire himself out. Even a half-elf's body couldn't endure this kind of physical torture.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, pushing his hair out of his face.

Yuan winced and opened his eyes, looking at me with a slightly confused expression.

"Why?" he asked hoarsely.

"It's all my fault." My voice cracked a little. That never happened to me before…

He managed to shake his head, even though it obviously caused him pain.

"It's because I'm a stubborn bastard." He said, trying to grin. Though he failed miserably as he suddenly started to shiver again.

I stepped into the fresh air for a few moments, retrieving my cloak. It was still lying next to the remnants of the fire. Then I went back inside and used it to cover him. He gave me a grateful look, before closing his eyes tiredly.

"Rest, okay? I'll watch over you." I said, taking his hand in my own.

For hours I sat next to him, watching him sleep. His condition only seemed to grow worse. His temperature was still rising, even though it was hardly noticeable. It was obvious he needed a doctor. The problem was that we were stuck on this damn island.

I sighed, gently stroking his cheek. What a mess. If someone had told me a few days before, that this was going to happen, I'd have never believed it.

My eyes strayed outside and widened in surprise. Mist? At this time of day? But the weather was just fine this morning.

Finally releasing Yuan's hand, I pushed myself to my feet and wandered to the exit of the cave. Though as I stood outside and turned to glance around, I felt I might've made a terrible mistake. I found myself face to face with the summon spirit of water.

"Undine."


	7. Earth

((A/N: 6 reviews! Yaaay! -_hugs everyone_- The title of this chapter makes NO sense, but it had to fit in with the other titles, so... Heh. And yes, I'm referring to Undine as 'it', since it's a spirit.))

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Earth.

Undine observed me with a thoughtful gaze. It didn't seem to be hostile. Not yet, anyway. My hand wandering to the hilt of my sword, I wondered faintly if I should slowly back away into the cave, or try to fight. The latter would be unwise. I couldn't win by myself.

"Are you Kratos Aurion?" it finally asked.

Slightly shocked, I stared at the spirit before me. How did it know my name?

"I am." I replied simply.

"The pactmaker ordered me to look for you and a half-elf named Yuan." Undine spoke.

"The pactmaker?" I repeated, frowning.

"Mithos Yggdrasill. The pactmaker." Undine gave a curt nod.

I assumed Mithos and Martel gone on without us, to form a pact with Undine. Not a bad plan, actually. When losing someone in the ocean, the aid of the summon spirit of water would be very handy.

"Is he alright?" I asked.

"Yes. His sister as well. Though they are both filled with worry." Undine spoke solemnly.

"I see…" I looked away thoughtfully.

"Is your companion here as well?" the spirit enquired.

"Yes. But he is ill. I'm not sure if it is wise to move him." I cast a quick glance at the cave behind me.

"You'd rather leave him behind?" Undine blinked, slightly confused.

"No!" I shouted, before I could stop myself. "That's what not what I meant."

"Then what? I have orders to take you both back to the pactmaker." Undine crossed its arms impatiently.

I glanced at the cave again, weighing my options. Moving Yuan in his current condition was definitely not wise, though if I waited any longer he would still die.

"Very well. Wait here." I turned back and entered the cave, gathering Yuan's clothes.

"Kratos?" the half-elf asked weakly.

"Don't worry. Mithos sent Undine to look for us. We'll be leaving this place soon." I said, kneeling down next to him to feel his forehead again. There was no change from before.

"Undine?" Yuan repeated, frowning slightly.

"Yes. It looks like Mithos succeeded in making the pact." I smiled at him.

"Heh. The brat's better than I thought." Yuan said, before rolling onto his side and coughing into his hands.

"Take it easy." I whispered.

Yuan gave a curt nod, closing his eyes again. I felt nothing but concern for him now. Something I probably wouldn't have felt so strongly before we came here. One night had changed everything between us.

Taking extra care not to hurt him, I managed to get Yuan dressed. Then I lifted him up from the damp floor and carried him outside. Undine was still waiting for us there.

"I must apologize." It spoke suddenly.

"Why?"

"I caused the currents that carried you here." It explained simply. "You two fell directly into my domain. I had to protect it."

"We didn't know." I responded, shaking my head softly.

For some reason, I was a little glad that we had ended up on this island. If we hadn't, I would probably never have found out about Yuan's feelings. He would've carried the burden with him until he'd gone mad. Though his current state wasn't much of an improvement either.

"Let's go." Undine said, turning around and heading for the beach.

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((Next chapter will be the last one! So... Look forward to it!)) 


	8. Love

((A/N: 7 reviews, eh? Well, thanks everyone! Enjoy the last chapter!))

* * *

Love.

Undine easily transported us across the ocean. Its powers allowed me to float mere inches above the water, while I held Yuan in my arms. Though it still took about an hour for us to reach the shore.

Even after four-thousand years, I could vividly remember the look on Martel's face as she saw the state Yuan was in. As always, she was extremely filled with concern, trying her best to help out. Without wasting time, we sent Mithos out to find a doctor. Yuan's illness was soon diagnosed as a horrible case of the flu, due to fatigue and stress. With the proper treatment, however, it wasn't life-threatening.

After a week, everything was back to normal. Though… maybe normal wasn't the right word. It seemed like Yuan was avoiding me, always staying close to Martel. It was hard to find a decent chance to talk to him about what happened. Mostly, he appeared to be ignoring me. Though from time to time I would catch him staring at me with a sad expression. As soon as he realized I'd noticed, however, he would immediately look away.

About three weeks after the 'island incident', I finally managed to corner him while he was on the nightwatch. Martel and Mithos were fast asleep, a short distance away, as Yuan sat on a fallen log, staring blankly into the forest. I took a seat next to him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"You've been avoiding me." I said immediately.

"Have I?" he asked vaguely.

"We need to talk about what happened." I continued, a bit annoyed he wouldn't even meet my gaze.

"Go right ahead." He gave a quick wave of his hand.

"Dammit, Yuan." I hissed angrily. "Why are you acting like this?"

Yuan muttered something under his breath. I could faintly make out the words 'insensitive bastard'. He was bluntly ignoring me and dared to call _me_ an insensitive bastard?

"I won't know what I did wrong unless you tell me." I whispered impatiently.

Yuan turned to see if Mithos and Martel were still fast asleep. Both half-elves were curled up in their sleeping bags, their eyes closed blissfully. Breathing deeply, he looked up at me, wearing a slightly irritated expression.

"You took advantage of me." He hissed.

"I did _what_?" I backed away in surprise. Was he kidding? If he was, he had a really bad sense of humour.

"I confessed my feelings to you, giving you everything I could give. Yet, not once did I hear you say you love me in return."

I stared at the half-elf, still slightly shocked. That was what was bothering him? He thought I was just some horny asshole who took advantage of him in his moment of weakness!

"But Yuan… I thought you knew!" I exclaimed. "I assumed it was obvious how I feel about you."

"I need to hear it with my own ears." He spoke, tilting his head slightly.

"I love you." I said earnestly, moving towards Yuan to pull him into an embrace. He clung to my shirt, burying his face in my chest.

"Good."

A few minutes of silence passed, as I ran my fingers through his soft blue hair soothingly. This felt nice. Ofcourse, the moment had to end sooner or later.

"But we still can't be together." Yuan broke the embrace, looking away again. "People won't accept it."

"Martel and Mithos might." I spoke, casting another glance at the two siblings.

"I already told Martel about what happened. She was glad that I'd found someone I love. She was also a bit mad that you appeared to be a perverted bastard." Yuan smiled faintly.

"That explains the strange looks she's been giving me lately." I mumbled, remembering all the times Martel had sent me unexplained glares in the last few weeks.

"I said it before, didn't I? Even if we manage to end the war and convince people to stop discriminating, it will take time." Yuan sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair.

"If Martel manages to finish her exsphere research, then perhaps we are given that time." I replied.

At that time, Martel was researching the various uses of exspheres and how they manage to grow. She planned on creating an evolved form of exsphere, allowing you to greatly increase your strength, senses and perhaps even your lifespan.

"Perhaps." Was all Yuan said.

"We will wait for the fires of discrimination to burn out. If we have faith, I'm sure we'll succeed."

We did succeed, a few years later. Mithos had split the worlds, ending the ancient Kharlan war. Though, as we waited for Derris-Kharlan's blessing to regenerate the giant tree of Mana, an unforeseen event occurred. One unfortunate event, that led to another and another… As Mithos snapped, we'd been trapped in a current of unthinkable horrors. Though this time, there was no island of security.

* * *

((Hmm... I kinda don't like how the ending turned out. It doesn't really... round up properly. I'm sorry!  
Well, keep an eye out for more stories by me. And remember; I'm a review whore!)) 


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